Tips and Tricks
During the fabulous 1980s, we had influences from all over the world and from the 1940s. Although we find the 1950s sandwiched between the 70s and 90s, the focus today is on the 1940s. The 1940s have two very distinct classifications, the War years, with its rationing of clothing and materials, and the post War, where the design of the 1950s began. You have to understand, that on December 31st, 1979, the influence of that decade didn’t stop, just as the end of World War Two did not immediately bring in the ‘new’ fashion designs that led to the 1950s iconic style.
Britain which had very strict fashion rules, down to how many buttons a garment could have, to its length and even the kind of pockets it could have, rationing of fabric was also felt in North America. In the 1940s rayon, acetate and nylon were popular choices for garments, with rayon crepe followed by rayon wool for suiting. Cotton was also used, (voile, swiss and lawn), eyelet, twill, and seersucker. (I have made a few 1940s style dresses with seersucker, and they are by far my favourite go to dresses.)
Voile is a cotton fabric that is ideal for spring or summer clothing. It has a high threat count, silky soft finish, no stretch, slightly transparent, light drape and is stiff and crisp. Lawn is ideal for lined dresses, button-down shirts, and summer blouses. Swiss is that cotton fabric that has the raised dots on it, and is used for blouses, dresses, and wedding attire. We will go into deeper fabric discussions in the future.
If you didn’t know, sewing has taken off, and in the last decade, pattern companies have been reissuing their patterns from the 1940s through the 1970s, and recently started to reissue the 1980s and 90s. True vintage patterns are still available, most costing under what a new pattern sells for. There are the exceptions to some very rare or popular patterns that can cost you well over forty or fifty dollars.
I personally find vintage patterns easier to sew; however, I am not against using a reissued pattern or a new pattern designed with a vintage flavour. I am not a PDF kind of girl either. You can buy the PDF and print it out yourself, or have a company print it out for you, which is another expense. You must be sure that the printer you are printing from is accurate.
The bonus of using a 1980s pattern or reissued pattern versus a true 1940s pattern.
Patterns from the 1980s or a reissued pattern are made multisized and come with a more detailed instruction booklet. The tissue will be in much better condition, as well, and the patterns are designed with our ‘new’ style of undergarments; however, I choose not to wear the girdle, you get me as I am. Also multisized patterns make it easier to change our body styles and sizes right on the pattern. In later articles we will talk about how to choose a pattern for size, but if you are just starting to sew, multisizing can ease you into grading a pattern or drastically changing a pattern to fit your body.
Most people have at least two sizes to contend within a pattern. If you use the shoulder in a size 18, keep the armhole a size 18, but you can alter the width of the sleeve. If you need an 18 for the shoulders and a size 20 for the bust and a size 22 for the waist, buy a pattern with those three sizes and cut out the 18, gently ease through the bust area to a 20 and ease out to a 22 for the waist. Begin with a pattern without darts on the side but choose one with pleats or darts for shaping.
Get the thought of only dresses and skirts out of your mind. Look for pants, overalls, suit jackets, shirts as well as blouses, play suits, shorts, halter tops, and of course wrap or button-down shirt dresses. Below are some examples of patterns from the 1940s and 1980s you can look for.
Please check out my pattern site on Etsy: https://redwoodlandgate.etsy.com
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